DIE HARD 2: DVD

SYNOPSIS:
Detective John McClane has arranged to meet his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at Dulles airport, Washington DC, on Chrismas Eve. Also arriving on Holly’s flight is South American dictator Esperanza (Franco Nero) who has been extradited to stand trial on drug smuggling charges. Terrorist leader Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) siezes control of the airport with the intention of freeing Esperanza, leaving McClane to wage a one-man war against Stuart and his squad. 

Review by Richard Kuipers:
Bigger but not better. Die Hard 2: Die Harder delivers all the action you could wish for but suffers from a self-consciousness that amuses before it becomes irritating. So aware is the sequel of the first film that a great deal of the dialogue is taken up by Willis and company (returning cop buddy Reginald Veljohnson in particular) referring to what a fine mess McClane's gotten himself into again this Christmas. 

With a wink and a "you know what we mean" tone this follow-up to the 1988 action spectacular suffers from an almost terminal case of smugness. For expensively arranged cheap thrills Die Harder doesn't disappoint, with shootouts on luggage conveyor belts and crash-landing jet airliners sure to keep action fans happy enough but the magic of the series left the building with Willis at the end of DH one. 

On the extras front this offers much less than the stunning Die Hard disc which, in more ways than one, is a very hard act to follow. The highlight is Renny Harlin's lively and humorous commentary track. Harlin, just 30 when he made his first big film after an apprenticeship including Prison, A Nightmare on Elm St 4 (both 1988) and Ford Fairlaine (1989) offers plenty of insights into what went right and wrong on the shoot. A full quota of trailers (are these really a special feature?), deleted footage and special effects breakdown guarantee a good time for fans and the transfer is bright and crisp. 

If you can't get enough of John McClane's Christmas follies then Die Harder is a disc for you. Otherwise, it's still well worth a look as long as you're not expecting lightning to hit twice.

Published May 9, 2002